


Substitute Stars

by 708_nanoseconds



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-06-11 11:51:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15314901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/708_nanoseconds/pseuds/708_nanoseconds
Summary: “Zenny, are you cold?” she asked worriedly. Glancing at the white-haired man next to her, her voice snapping him out of his thoughts. Zen sneezed again, and she took that as a response. “Here.” She reached next to her, cupping his hands with hers then pulling them closer, blowing gentle warm puffs of air into them.Her smile, snowy and eccentric, was comforting. Splotches of red pink blush splattered across her cheeks as glittery eyes stared at him with jittery wonder. And in return, Zen finds utopia in her gaze.





	Substitute Stars

**Author's Note:**

> I didn’t give MC a name at all so think of yourself in this, idk

It’s somewhat a miracle that it wasn’t snowing right now, given it’s nearly late November, Zen thought.

But he was glad, glad that it wasn’t snowing, glad that he got a chance to view the stars with his love tonight.

Work had been hectic recently, and he felt bad for having to come home late constantly, sometimes not at all, even. Time was sacred and his schedule was packed and as much as he missed her every single moment he was at work, real life duties calls for him, cruelly pulling him away from the comforting voice he needed to hear so badly.

But she understood. She was patient, she was caring, and she would always put his well-being before hers, asking him if he had eaten yet or lending him an ear, willing to hear him complain about trivial matters. It was all the little, insignificant things that made him very grateful that she choose him. Which made Zen felt even worse that they haven’t had time to spend together.

He had decided he would make it up to her, asking her what she’d like, and she had decided they would spend some time up on their apartment rooftop to stargaze, something simple, a form of compensation.

And here they were tonight, sitting on the bench on his rooftop, leaning against each other while the cold, harsh wind grazed against their skin, searching for stars. Words weren’t exchanged but instead feelings were, subtly, with loving glances or fingers, sneaking quietly between the spaces of the others’ hands.

Too bad there weren’t stars tonight, city lights had shrouded the night sky, neon-filled drapes, covering every other bit of the vast night sky as the stars went into hiding. He sneezed.

“Zenny, are you cold?” she asked worriedly. Glancing at the white-haired man next to her, her voice snapping him out of his thoughts. Zen sneezed again, and she took that as a response. “Here.” She reached next to her, cupping his hands with hers then pulling them closer, blowing gentle warm puffs of air into them.

Her smile, snowy and eccentric, was comforting. Splotches of red pink blush splattered across her cheeks as glittery eyes stared at him with jittery wonder. And in return, Zen finds utopia in her gaze.

  
“Honey...stop being so cute! My heart is going to melt!” Zen chuckled, half-heartedly complained about potential heart attacks while gently brushing away her hands, reaching up to pinch her cheeks lightly, grinning. “I can’t feel the cold bother me at all when I’m with you!”

Just the two of them. He let go of her cheeks, instead choosing to lean closer against her. Neon lights clung on tall buildings, flickering like autotuned notes, mechanical and rhythmic yet strangely beautiful, etched out like blooming fireworks in the night sky. Millions and thousands of aligned sparkles, rows and rows of substitute stars.

“It’s kind of a shame city lights don’t look as nice as real stars do,” Zen started, “Even so, they are kind of pretty to look at.”

She looked at him, puzzled. “Well,” Zen replied slowly, carefully putting thoughts into words while quietly reaching an arm around her shoulder. “City lights are pretty, with all the bright neon colors and stuff, and they do kind of look like stars...but nothing can compare to real stars. The have that kind of simplicity that makes them so, so beautiful.” He pulled her closer. “They kind of remind me of you.”

“You’re only you, and that’s more than enough to me. I like how simple you are.” He breathed out, tugging her even closer while staring back into the skies, searching for many more words to spoil her with. “No one else can outshine you, honey. You’ll always be the only star in my eyes.” She coughed, noticeably flustered at his words, but leaning deeper into his embrace nonetheless.

Even though it felt blessed to have her by his side now, Zen couldn’t help but feel the chilling cold seeping into his bones bit by bit. But he really didn’t want to move, not when they could finally, finally spend some time alone together. It’s been so long. But his inability to hold in another sneeze had caused her to grow more worried. Zen smiled at her apologetically, cheeks red from the cold. “I’m fine!” She glanced at him suspiciously, not buying into his reassurement this time.

“Zenny, should I get us something warm to drink? I’ll grab a blanket, too.” She asked, standing up from the bench, staring down at him with a sweet smile. “What’d you like?”

She threw him a question. But instead of answering, Zen saw how she merged in perfectly in the night sky as he stared up, bright city lights forming a halo of light around her. he saw clouds and seas and stars and skies reflected in her eyes, and once again, he fell in love again. Dazzled by all the beauty and kindness in the world. All right by his side, in the form of a plain and simple person. And he realised, his previous words were right. She really was beautiful. She was everything to him.

“Zenny?” Completely ignoring the questioning, Zen reached forward and hugged her, nuzzling her stomach gently. _She’s so warm, so incredibly warm..._ “Y’know, honey…”

“...I thought different kinds of beauty only existed in different people, but I ended up finding all of them in you, and just you.” He tightened the hug. “I love you so, so much.”

She reached down and patted his hair, fingers combing through long, silky locks, reflecting moonlight in the dark. “Stop it, Zen…! You don’t have to repeat it so often, I’m getting really, really embarrassed now...” She bent down gently, locking gazes with bright, passionate vermilion.

“But it’s true…! You mean so much to m-“ soft light pink lips had clogged up words, blurring out the rest of Zen’s sentence, taking the rest of it in. Unheard confessions, repeated words, ideals, thing about his loved one he held true to his heart.

And right at this instant, he saw. He saw her closing in, hands cupping his cheeks, fingers threading through the white bangs that framed his face, taking in every single bit of him. Zen’s eyes widened, he saw her squeezed-shut eyes, her too-red face, every single absolutely beautiful bit of her. He wasn’t expecting this much, for his dearest to take initiative in a kiss. This kind of inability to speak, he didn't mind.

It made him crave more, a whole lot more.

So Zen put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her closer, desperately trying to deepen the kiss. A mix of saliva and tongues fighting, the lack of oxygen slowly mixing in with well-existed flusteredness. She clung to him like he was everything and shuddered at the intensity. Zen moaned hard. Greedy hands had moved down from her shoulders to her hips, fully embracing her curves while caressing her back. As the battle for breathing exhilarated, their cheeks slowly growing even redder until reluctantly, their lips had to part.

Zen licked his lips and stood up from the bench, hands still around her waist, “You said you were going to get drinks, right? Should we go get some hot chocolate? And maybe a little something else..?” he winked at her as she threw a light punch at his shoulder, flustered eyes shying away from him, cheeks reddening again.

“All we have are substitute stars tonight, sadly. But I’m glad I have you, my precious star, by my side.” He sighed dreamily, leading her back into their apartment. “Nobody can replace your place in my heart.”

_Just the two of them..._ Zen wished it would last forever. And she did, too.

**Author's Note:**

> Resonance, Temperance  
> My ideal is “Just The Two Of Us”...


End file.
